Talkative Japanese Squirrel

Have you ever heard Japanese Squirrel chattering?

At "Squirrel Trail," you can hear a variety of squirrel calls. The easiest calls to observe are these:

A series of intermittent "queeze, queeze" sounds continue for a while.

Recent research has revealed that this is a sound squirrels make when they are on alert. Observed wild squirrels would stop moving when they heard this sound, and even if they were on the ground, they would remain still instead of climbing up trees to escape, and in some cases, they would leap into the bushes. Furthermore, they were sometimes seen making this sound towards dogs and cats, but it was observed more often towards crows and hawks. From these findings, it was concluded that this "coo, coo" sound is more likely to be emitted towards birds, which are predators that hunt squirrels from the air, rather than towards predators on the ground.

(Actually, in addition to this sound, it has been reported that they also make a "pew, pew" sound when they are wary of predators on the ground, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to capture it on video. Please try to find an opportunity to hear it on the "Squirrel Trail.")

In addition, there are other sounds that can be heard from winter through spring, which is the season of love.

You'll probably hear a lot of high-pitched chirping sounds like "chirp chirp chirp..." These aren't birds, but squirrels. You'll often hear them, especially early in the morning.

Occasionally, you can hear a loud "peep-peep" sound. This sound is often heard when the male is chasing the female.

The male is outside the nest box, and the female is inside. The male first makes a low growling sound (around 4 seconds), and then makes a high-pitched sound similar to the calls they make when chasing each other (around 7 seconds). In addition to the sounds, the male constantly moves his hind legs in small, rapid movements, swings his tail from side to side, and rubs his face against the nest box. It's not entirely clear, but it is thought to be an appeal for breeding.

As you can see, squirrels communicate with each other using a variety of sounds. Much is still unknown about the vocal communication of Japanese Squirrel, and they are likely communicating in many other ways besides those listed here. Why not listen carefully on the "Squirrel Trail" and eavesdrop on the squirrels' chatter?

[Inokashira Park Zoo]

(March 27, 2026)